"We're the champions!"
Outside the assessment area, Tang Wulin and Huo Yuhao put their hands together and shouted in unison.
The students around them cast strange looks their way, unable to understand why these two were so confident.
"Hmph. Arrogant fools."
Passing by, Dai Huabin snorted and looked at the two with disdain. Mere weaklings-the winner of this freshman assessment would undoubtedly be him.
Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie followed closely behind him. Though neither said anything, the contempt on their faces was plain to see.
It was him. It was him. It really was him!
Huo Yuhao noticed the boy's appearance: a handsome, icy face, double pupils in his deep-blue eyes, and long golden hair parted down the middle and falling loosely on either side.
His body began trembling uncontrollably, and he instinctively clamped his hand around Tang Wulin's wrist.
Second Brother, you...
The moment Tang Wulin felt Huo Yuhao's grip tighten, he realized something was wrong. Intense hatred and grief radiated from him.
Huo Yuhao's eyes gradually reddened. He recognized one of the people responsible for his mother's death-the duchess's youngest son, his older half brother, Dai Huabin.
Without a doubt, however, Dai Huabin had not recognized Huo Yuhao, who had undergone a complete transformation. Though he was somewhat surprised that both boys were fairly good-looking, they were nothing more than strutting clowns, hardly worth fearing.
"Second Brother, is there anything you can tell me?"
Tang Wulin placed his other hand over Huo Yuhao's and gently comforted him.
"I'm the White Tiger Duke's illegitimate son. That's my older half brother, and one of the people responsible for my mother's death."
Huo Yuhao practically squeezed the words out through gritted teeth. What an unfilial son he was. He had been at Shrek Academy for so long, yet he had never looked into any news about those two brothers.
"Ah!"
Looking at Huo Yuhao's hate-filled face, Tang Wulin did not know what to say. That boy was both his brother and his enemy. If someone had truly caused his own mother's death, he would never forgive that person either.
"I'll always be here with you, no matter what happens."
That was all Tang Wulin could say to soothe Huo Yuhao, who was consumed by hatred. He was still only a child, after all, and did not yet know how to handle such things.
Calm down! Calm down!
Huo Yuhao looked at his hands. He was no longer that worthless Soul Master. He was now an unparalleled genius at Shrek, and one day, he would have his revenge.
"Wulin, thank you."
Huo Yuhao finally emerged from his hatred and spoke softly as he looked in the direction where Dai Huabin had disappeared.
"It's all right. Let's go to the competition first."
A brilliant smile spread across Tang Wulin's face.
"Since everyone thinks we're going to lose, let's show them our strength."
"All right!"
Huo Yuhao nodded firmly. He would take revenge with his own hands. This freshman assessment would serve as the interest the Dai Family owed him.
The assessment area covered roughly twenty thousand square meters and had now been divided into fifty zones, each a square about twenty meters on a side. The pair had been assigned to Zone Thirteen, where they would compete against other teams until they emerged victorious, then be regrouped with the winners from other zones to complete the competition.
The zones were clearly marked, and the two soon reached theirs.
Because they had been delayed for a while, the competitors from the other classes had already arrived.
Some looked as though victory was already in their grasp, while others hung their heads dejectedly. Yet clear hostility shone in all their eyes. After all, they had to eliminate one another to remain, and every battle concerned their future.
A loud announcement rang throughout the Outer Court, reaching every corner and warning freshmen who had yet to enter to hurry inside.
Hearing the announcement, Tang Wulin could not help clenching his fists. This would be his first proper battle against other students.
He usually honed his combat skills with his two uncles, Xiao Xiao, and the others, but after all these days, they had grown familiar with one another. Instead, he gained little from their fights anymore.
"Are there only two people on their team?"
"That full of themselves?"
"Maybe they're so weak they've just given up."
Some teams noticed the pair and whispered among themselves, cold smiles and eager looks occasionally appearing on their faces. After all, two people were always easier to fight than three. Facing them meant having a victory already in the bag.
"Looks like they're underestimating us."
Tang Wulin rubbed his hands together, speaking to Huo Yuhao with a faint smile.
"Well, there are only two of us. We'll just let our strength slap them in the face."
By now, Huo Yuhao had returned to his usual self and answered with a smile of his own.
They did not think there was anything wrong with the others' comments. Standing apart from the crowd naturally invited such talk. Still, they could not help feeling a little annoyed. When the time came, they would simply finish them off as quickly as possible.
"Look, it's Mu En and the others."
Huo Yuhao had sharp eyes. With the competition yet to begin, he happened to spot a group of familiar administrators and teachers standing in the spectator stands, looking their way.
Tang Wulin turned to look. Sure enough, Mu En, his two uncles, and the Elders of the Sea God Pavilion had all come. Ma Xiaotao had been squeezed to the very back and was waving her arms at him.
Without saying anything more, Tang Wulin merely waved in greeting. Going over to them now would only interfere with his life at the academy.
"Ahem."
The time finally arrived. Mu En stood at the very front, and the students and teachers stared at the people in the stands in astonishment, unable to understand why the dean was standing behind that middle-aged man.
"I am Mu En, and I am currently level ninety-nine-"
"Ah!"
"Level ninety-nine!"
The entire assessment area erupted in a thunderous uproar, everyone gazing at Mu En with fervent eyes. Level ninety-nine-the highest peak in the Soul Master World, the goal countless Soul Masters pursued.
Dai Huabin looked at Mu En on the platform, his eyes burning with the same fervor as his fists clenched tight.
Who's to say I can't reach such heights in the future?
Dai Huabin indulged in his naive fantasy.
"I'm delighted to see another generation of freshmen join Shrek..."
Carried by his soul power, Mu En's words reached everyone's ears clearly. Even as they were shocked, their devotion to Shrek grew all the more fervent.
"Now, I declare the freshman assessment officially begun!"
"Roar!!!"
Having witnessed the continent's highest peak, the freshmen let out earthshaking roars, their gazes locked firmly on their opponents. They wished they could get onstage immediately and show what they could do. What if that Level 99 Limit Douluo took a liking to them?
"He really is brimming with vigor."
Tang Wulin gazed at Mu En in the distance and murmured. He still remembered how stooped the man had been when they first met. Now he had become so youthful, so full of passion. It was wonderful.
"All six teams in our zone are here."
A smiling teacher who looked very amiable walked over.
After briefly introducing himself and explaining the competition rules, he took out a folder and opened it. He glanced at it, then looked up and spoke.
"Round one, match one: Tang Wulin and Huo Yuhao of Freshman Class One; Xu Ming, Wang Yu, and Zhou Min of Freshman Class Three."
Before you continue